New ‘Excellence in Impact’ Awards launched at BVCA Summit recognises exceptional commitments to ESG

The BVCA introduces the ‘Excellence in Impact’ awards to recognise the firms with admirable commitment to making an environmental and social impact, alongside financial returns.

Taking place at the Landmark Hotel in London on 5th October, this new award celebrates the organisations that showcase best practice in impact investment from across the private capital industry.

This year’s judging panel comprised:

• Sarah Teacher, Executive Director at Impact Investing Institute
• Katie Fulford-Smith, Director at Big Society Capital
• Ollie Willmott, Assistant Director, Sustainability & Climate Change at PwC

The judging panel of multi-sector impact experts assessed the top entries across four categories and recognises the companies below:

General Partners:

The top recognised firm in this category is Circularity Capital

The judges praised the firm’s clear impact mission and ethos for continual improvement, consistency, and rigor.

Circularity Capital also demonstrated strong engagement with LPs and communication with portfolios to support with articulating, measuring, and developing the impact delivered by each business.

Limited Partners:

The top recognised firm in this category is Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Esmée Fairbairn demonstrated a thoughtful impact framework with thorough due diligence systems in place which incorporate engagement with the GPs.

The judges also praised their engagement for influencing impact investing, including collaboration with the Green Finance Institute, Investing for Good, and ShareAction.

Portfolio Companies:

Portfolio Company with a social impact award: CAPSLOCK, nominated by Ufi Ventures

CAPSLOCK focuses on re-skilling people into tech and cyber security. They do this by removing barriers to opportunity, giving access to a spectrum of people and reducing the cyber skills gap.

The judges praised the firm for its strong, targeted approach to impact investing as they demonstrate how impact can be a driver of commercial value.

Ufi Ventures is challenging them to measure their impact metrics, including reporting on the scale, quality, and depth of impact.

Portfolio Company with an environmental impact: Propelair, nominated by Earth Capital

Propelair is a CleanTech company based in London who manufacture the world’s lowest water-flush toilet, reducing water usage by up to 84%. The company has a large market in South Africa where water scrutiny is a concern. The judges were impressed by the company’s strong impact ethos, and Earth Capital’s Earth Dividend tool which is used to score metrics and implement accountability.

Special Recognitions:

• GP, specialising in impact investing strategies: Eka Ventures
• Portfolio Company with a social impact: B2W (back to work) Group (nominated by Palatine)

Shortlist (in no particular order):

• GP: Blue Earth Capital, Bridges Fund Management, Just Climate, Three Hills, and Future Planet Capital
• Portfolio Company (with a social impact): DWRM (Backed by Big Issue Invest)
• Portfolio Company (with an environmental impact): Anthesis (nominated by Paletine) and Altruistiq (nominated by Molten Ventures)

For media enquiries, please contact:
Karen Keany, BVCA: [email protected]

Notes to editors

About the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

The BVCA, as the representative body for private equity and venture capital, connects institutional investors, fund managers, companies, advisers and service providers together, with our membership currently comprising more than 650 businesses from across the private capital ecosystem. This includes more than 325 PE and VC firms, 100 institutional investors and 220 professional services firms.

Private capital drives growth – providing the funding, expertise and long-term view that enables companies to innovate and flourish. Our mission is to advocate the transformative nature of the private equity and venture capital community.